1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to home entertainment systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a PC media center and extension device for a home entertainment system.
2. Description of Related Background Art
As interactive television (ITV) becomes more popular, greater demands are being placed on cable and satellite set top boxes (STBs) used in home entertainment systems. Popular STBs, such as the Motorola™ DCT2000™, are not sufficiently powerful to implement many of the most requested ITV features, such as videoconferencing, personal video recording (PVR), video and photo editing, and so forth. These and other features would elevate an STB to the status of a “home media center” that provides access to all forms of media—video, audio, text, etc.—using a television set.
Newer, more advanced STBs are needed to implement home media centers, but subscribers may be unwilling to pay for them. Likewise, many cable and satellite providers are not able to advance the cost of $500 to $1,000 per subscriber for the new STBs.